Anthurium plant `Georgusis White Number 1`

ABSTRACT

An Anthurium cultivar of compact freely branching form, abundant white flowers contrasting with the dark green foliage, useful as a commercial pot plant.

This invention relates to a new and distinct Anthurium cultivar which isoutstanding because of its contrasting stark white flower and dark greenleaves, and primarily selected for those characteristics being soselected from a planting of Anthurium being grown near Hollywood, Fla.in a cultivated area.

Asexual reproduction of this cultivar by tissue culture was directed byme, such reproduction establishing that the plant does in fact maintainthe characteristics described, in successive generations.

The cultivar may further be described as having a number of distinctivecharacteristics which are enumerated in the succeeding specificdescription but broadly stated as comprising a compact freely branchingand flowering hybrid wherein the abrupt contrast between dark greenfoliage and numerous white flowers makes this cultivar suitable forcommercial distribution as a flowering pot plant.

As will be observed from a consideration of the drawing attached hereto,the plant is in fact quite compact and yet produces both considerablefoliage as well as a number of white flowers which are set off by thedark green leaves surrounding the same or adjacent thereto.

The foregoing is shown specifically in FIG. 1 which discloses the plant.

A flower alone in enlarged form with the dark green leaves in thebackground is shown in FIG. 2.

I have chosen to identify this new cultivar as Anthurium Georgusis White#1.

It is possible that other identification will be adopted in the trade,but the name selected will serve for the purposes hereof.

It should be noted that the plant was initially selected where grown inor near Hollywood, Fla. and has since been reproduced by plant tissuecultivar in the vicinity of Altha, Fla. with the characteristics stated,found to be maintained through successive generations as before recited.

In order to more specifically identify the cultivar descriptive detailsare set forth hereinafter, along with related aspects of the plant whichserve to distinguish the same all colors being noted as compared withThe Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, the measurements beingmade from and related to mature plants grown in the vicinity of Altha,Fla.

Parentage:

Seed parent.--Anthurium×cultorum.

Pollen parent.--Anthurium antioquiense.

Date.--Jun., 1982.

Propagation: Plant tissue culture, near Altha, Fla.

Plant descriptions:

Stem.--Smooth, green (137 C)

Lenticels.--Not obvious.

Petioles.--28-37 cm. Smooth. Color when young, green (137 C). Mature,green (137 B).

Leaves.--Ovate, cuspidate tip. The leaf base shape changes with overallmaturity of the plant. Young plant has obtuse leaf base, changing withmaturity to truncate and cordate on a fully mature plant. At maturitythe leaf ranges from 19-24 cm long by 12-16 cm wide, pending age.Reflexed. Margins entire.

Color.--Young expanding leaf, green (137 A-138 A) adaxial (top), green(138 B) abaxial (bottom) Polished. Mature leaf, green (137 A-139 A)adaxial (top), yellow-green (146 B) abaxial (bottom). Dull appearance.

Veins.--Main vein (Rib) prominent near base of leaf. Both main rib andlateral veins near base of leaf protrude from leaf surface. Veins inremainder of leaf are even to somewhat sunken in the leaf surface. Ribcolor on a young leaf is green (137 B-C) from the base to the midsection. Rib color from the mid section to the leaf tip approximate theleaf surface color for young and mature leaves.

Leaf sheath.--8-10 cm long pending age. Surrounds young leaf duringearly development stages and is directly attached to the stem below theleaf attachment. The leaf sheath surrounding the youngest leaf is green(137 D). With age turns greyed-orange (165 B).

Flower:

Type.--Spathe and spadix. Spathe tightly rolled around Spadix duringdevelopment. The spathe is fully opened when peduncle is fullyelongated. The Spathe is polished, smooth, unpuckered, ovate, cordatebase, cuspidate tip and 5-7 cm long by 4-6 cm wide. Typically, a widthto length ratio 0.75:1 is consistently displayed. Flowers areconsistently held above the foliage.

Spathe Color.--Newly open flower, light red (36 D) adaxial, white (155D) abaxial. The light red color is more prominent under cooler growingconditions. Mature flower, white (155 C).

Spathe veins.--Inconspicuous. Protrude from spathe surface.

Peduncle.--32-36 cm long. Green (137 B) at maturity.

Reproductive organs:

Spadix.--4-5 cm long, 6-8 mm wide at base. Spadix color changes from thebase of the spadix, red (54 D) to the middle section, red (54 C) to thetip, yellow-green (154 C) when young. With maturity, the spadix colorbecomes uniform red (55 D) except at the very tip red (52 D).

Stamens.--Anthers and filaments not clearly visible.

Flowering time: After approximately 9-12 months depending on season 1-4blossoms will be present. Smaller flowers may occur on less matureplants.

Roots: Root developed above soil line are fleshy and non-branching.Roots developed below the soil line are fleshy and well branches withfine lateral roots.

Diseases: Initial greenhouse trials in Altha, Fla. indicate goodresistance against traditional diseases.

Insects: No unusual susceptibility to insects noted to date.

The cultivar may be compared with known varieties along the followinglines where observation were made on plants grown under similarconditions near Altha, Fla.

Anthurium `Rosa`: Rosa is a larger plant with a somewhat loose spreadinggrowth habit. The leaves are a lighter green with the newest leaves abronze color. Rosa displays larger, heart shaped, pink (48 D) flowers.

Anthurium `Ozaki Red`: Tall, leggy growth habit. Exhibits less lateralbranching. Leaves generally lighter green color. Flower color Lt. red(47 A-B).

Anthurium `Lady Jane`: Similar in growth habit, leaf shape and color.Flowers wider and longer (1:2 ratio), pink (51 B). Flowers produced onyoung plants open even to or slightly below the foliage canopy.

Anthurium `Southern Blush`: Similar in size with a loose spreadinghabit. Leaves are lighter green with the new growth a bronze color. Leafblade thinner and narrower. Leaves are held on longer petioles. The samesize flower is displayed above the foliage. The flower is heart shaped,smooth, red (54 B-C), with darker margins.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Anthurium, substantially asdescribed and illustrated herein, characterized particularly as tonovelty by its compact form as well as its freely branching andflowering, the sharp contrast between the dark green foliage andnumerous white flowers providing a cultivar well suited as a floweringpot plant having good resistance to the traditional Anthurium diseasesand no unusual susceptibility to insects.